On August 29, the National Military Memorial Cemetery (NVMK) was officially opened in Markhalivka, Kyiv region, where the first burials have already been held. Ukrainian heroes who gave their lives for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state will rest here.
On August 29, five unknown soldiers were buried at the memorial. The next burial of the unknown soldiers is scheduled for Saturday, August 30, and in the future such ceremonies will be held regularly. At the same time, from this day on, the families of the deceased, whose names have been established, can apply to the cemetery administration for the organization of burial in designated sectors or in columbariums.
It is allowed to bury military personnel who participated in hostilities, including Heroes of Ukraine and full knights of orders, war veterans (in particular, participants in hostilities, persons with disabilities as a result of war, peacekeepers), as well as outstanding fighters for the independence of Ukraine in the 20th century, on the territory of the NVMK. The memorial is now open to visitors. At the entrance to the cemetery, there are samples of temporary tombstones that will be used in the future.
The construction of the first launch complex of the first phase of the cemetery is currently completed. 6,000 seats have been prepared (in total, 120,000-130,000 are planned), two columbariums have been built, a parking lot has been arranged, engineering networks have been laid, an access road and a road interchange have been built. The construction of the administrative building and the House of Mourning is underway, the utility block is being built, the Central Square with the Memorial Garden, the entrance gate, recreation areas and landscaping are being formed.
Also, the symbolic Alley of linden trees – the road of memory – is laid. 40 trees have already been planted, and there are plans to create an avenue of 100 lindens. After discussions, a unified burial standard was agreed upon. First, a temporary structure is erected in the style of Cossack crosses of the XV-XVI centuries, which were preserved in ancient cemeteries. A year later, after the natural subsidence of the soil, a permanent tombstone appears in its place – in the form of a Cossack cross or a rectangular slab, depending on the choice of the deceased’s family.
